Being everything to everyone.
July 10, 2026
Mayoral Campaign Diary: Part IV
A mayor is expected to be all things to all people. An impossible task. We are a city of diverse people, priorities and perspectives. I will never know what it’s like to be queer or Black. Or a Muslim or Indigenous woman. Or an overqualified new Canadian working nights in a factory to make ends meet.
But I have eyes, ears, and a heart. One of the strongest powers a mayor can have is empathy. This comes hand in hand with kindness and humility. It means accepting the reality that I don’t have all the answers. As I’ve been at the doors and out in the community the last two months, one thing has become clear — whoever becomes the leader of this city in October has to deliver something for everyone.
Apparently, I’ve already been labelled on the political spectrum. But those labels have come from others, most of whom have never met me, and are often based on perceptions related to a vote on a certain issue that is important to them. I am so much more complex than one issue or one vote. And so is this city. So are you.
I have never aspired to another level of government provincially or federally. Partisan politics are not for me, and frankly have no place in local government. Clean water and maintaining roads are not left, right or centre issues.
On the campaign trail, being able to connect one-on-one and answer complex questions has been so satisfying. Addressing a rumour or correcting misinformation that someone read on a toxic social media site has reminded me of the importance of listening to where people are at. Voters want more than just to be heard — they want leadership that reflects what has been heard.
And that is the biggest challenge. When you hear multiple differing perspectives on an issue, a mayor is expected to pick a side. It’s a win-lose game.
Guelph is not one thing. You are not one thing. I am not one thing.
We can be deeply worried about tax affordability, and also want investment in transit and trails. We can demand service efficiency and want a higher level of winter maintenance. We can reject the negative impact of over-densification, and still support new housing development. We can be concerned about encampments, and also care about those vulnerable in our community who need housing and food support.
I can’t promise on the campaign trail that you will get everything you ask for. But you will be heard. Everyone will get something that makes our city a better community with a brighter future.
Leanne